Toy.



E. N. CLARK.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, x915.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

Ear/ Warn 00d (/z/M Inventor 2 W w. Evan Attorney Witness: QQQ' 551 annexl te' prevent the marble 1 f om rolling EARL NORWOOD CLARK, on MIDDLET oWN, OHIO.

TOY. i

Specification of Letters P-atent;

Patented Mar. 21,1916.

Application filed August 25, 1915 SerialNo. 47,378.

Toallwhom it'may concern Be itknown that I, EARL NORWOOD CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, Butler county, Ohio, have invented certainnew and useful I n1provements-in- Toys, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention, pertaining to toys, relates to" a toy in which the gravity of a falling ball causes it, under varying circumstances, to move through: various lengths of pathwaycletermining' its final resting point and I have given to this toy the very appropriate name of loop the: loop. 4

The invention will be readily understood fr m the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which':-'

Figure l isa perspective view'of a structure illustrating my improved toy: and Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 1 is on a smaller scale than Fig. 2.

In the drawing :1, indicates a closed box whose top is preferably somewhat inclined: 2, a curved passageway extending about the ends and floor of the box: 3, the floor of the curved passageway at the entry end of the passageway: 4, the outer wall of the curved passageway at its exit end, this wall being inclined somewhat inwardly toward box 1: 5, series of holes in the top of box 1, these holes being provided with symbols or numerals indicating game values: 6, the outer general-structure or outer box inclosingand giving support-to box 1 and the floor of the curved passageway: 7, a lid adapted to close the top of the outer box, this lid being preferably' hinged at'the entry end of the curved passageway: 8, the hinge uniting the lid to the outer box: 9, stays connected-with the outer box and the lid and determining the extent to which the lid shall open past the vertical plane: 10, a ball, a marble for instance, shownin one position of release, this marble being of a size adapted topass'freely through the curved passageway and through any one of the holes 5: 11, a. hole' leading outwardly from the curved passageway and of a; size to permit themarble to freely'pa'ss out' sid'ewise from the curved passageway: 12, a similar hole leading outwardly from the boat: 13, the'm'arble shown in another position of release; and 14, an upwardly projec'ting le'dge at-the tail end of' the topfrom the top-of the box back into the discharge endof the curved passageway.

'I heprocedure in using this toy is to drop a marble into the receiving throat at the end of the curved passageway and then note what becomesof the marble, the game consistingof'successes of additive values or of failures of subtractive values, though the toy lends itself to quite a variety of systems of counting. In using the tov, while the ele ment of luck is perhaps the major factor, skillhas plenty of opportunity for exercise. Success in using the toy, in the mannerpreferr ed by me, consists in having the dropped marble find its way into the box 1 and the value of that success is to be measured, amongother things, by the designated value of that'one' of the holes 5 through which it drops into the box. First, if the marble be dropped into the receiving throat of the curved passageway it may go'down and stop in the lower part of the passageway. This should be called a failure. Second, the marble may proceed through the curved passageway and turn inwardly over and onto the top of the box and go down into the box through one of the holes 5. Thisis a success and the value of the success may be determined by the designated value ofthe hole through which it passes.- Third, the marble maypassthrough the curved passageway and up out of it and entirely over the box and down into the curved passageway and stop, constituting another kind of failure. F ourth,the marblemay go entirely through the curved passageway and entirely over the box' and into the curved passageway again and out of the curved passage and onto the top of the box'and into the box through one of the holes therein. Here is another case of success in which the marble has made a com plete circuit around the box. This might be considered a success of higher value than in'the case where the marble did not circle entirely over the box. Fifth, the marble might take the same general path entirely around the box but fetch up in the curved passageway; This would be another case of failure. Sixth, the marble may make more than one complete circuit entirely around the box and fetch up in the box or in the passageway under the box, scoring a suc ess in the'first-m'entioned case and a failure in; the lastmentioned case.

The marble which haslodged in the curved passageway may be discharged from the passageway through hole 11, and the marble which has lodged in box 1 may be discharged therefrom through hole.l2 by tipping the structure properly sidewise. Lid

7 has a multiple otiice, viz. to close the topof the outer box when the apparatus is not in use, and to serve as a guide, it desired,

when the marble is dropped into the receivway. If the marble be released from the position indicated at 10 it will be correctly guided to the entry throat of the curved passageway but it will not have acquired a very great momentum by the time it reaches the passageway. If the marble be released from the position indicated by 13 it will, 1n

reaching the curved passageway, have acquired considerable more momentum than in the former case, and position 13 may be as sumed as being at any desired distance above the apparatus, say as far up as the hand of the player can reach. It is the height from which the marble is dropped that largely determines the number of loops in its path around the box and it is at this point that the skill of the player enters, though skill cannot determine whether, in case the marble makes a complete loop around the box it will fetch up Within the box or in the curved passageway.

Any number of players may use this toy, taking their turns. As a mere example let it be assumed that the player first scoring five thousand points wins the game and that the rule of count is as follows :-If the marble stops without leaving the curved passageway the count is zero. If the marble rises from the curved passageway and goes directly to the box through one'of the holes, the count is the designated value of the hole. If the marble passes over the box and goes the second time into the curved passageway and stops therein twenty-five will be subtracted from the count. If the marble loops around the box and rises from the curved passageway the second time and goes into the box it will count double the designated value of the hole through which it drops. If the marble comes out of the curved passageway the third time and enters the box it will count triple the value of the hole through which it reached the box. If the marble goes out of the passageway the third time and lodges in the curved passageway instead of going to the box, seventy-five will be subtracted from the count. In this way extra values may be given to the holes through which the marble drops to thebox according to the number of loops the marble has made around the box before going to the hole and, correspondingly, extra'subtra'ctions may be made from the count when the marbleafter mak- --1ng several loops around the box lodges in the third passageway-instead of reaching the box. While it is obvious that the perforated top of the box is an important partofthe apparatus, it will be apprehended that the box itself is of value in catching the successful marbles, notwithstanding thefact that if the top only of the box were present the same counts could be made and the marble recovered. through hole 11, It often. happens that a marble rising out ofthe curved passageway strikes the top ofthe box, or

what I will call the'perforated tablet, and; seeks to roll down backward into the curved I passageway without going into the. box throu h one of the holes. It is the object of ledge 14 to prevent this and, "while possibly facilitating the; finding ofione of the:

holes by the marble, to retain the marble above the perforated tablet in case it does not pass through one of the holes.

The side walls of outer box 6 which form also the side walls of the curved passage 2' often called upon for the performance of any office other than to permit the retention of several marbles.

The construction will manifestly lend itself to various modifications and the particular construction set forth is to be considered merely as an exemplification. I

have sought to set forth the principle of my invention and the best mode in which I at present contemplate embodying that principle.

-Iclaim:

1. A toy comprising, a tablet provided with a series of perforations through it, and a curved passageway disposed below and at each end of the tablet, the curved passageway and the perforations in the tablet being of such dimenslons as to permit the free passage of a ball, whereby a ball dropped into i one end of the curved passage may go through sald passage and onto the tablet and through a perforation therein or pass over the tablet and again enterfthecurved passageway, combined substantially as set forth.

2. A toy comprising, a tablet provided wlth a SQIIGS of perforations through it, a.

box disposed below the tablet, and a curved passageway disposed below and at each end of the box and tablet, the curved passage.- way-and the perforations inthe tablet being of such dimensions as to permit the free passage of a ball, whereby a ball dropped into one end of the curved passage may go through said passage and onto the tablet and through aperforation therein and into said box or pass over the tablet and again enter the curved passageway, combined substantially as set forth.

3. A toy comprising, a tablet provided with a series of perforations through it, a curved passageway disposed below and at each end of the tablet, and an outer box serving to support the side edges of the tablet and to form side walls to the curved passageway, the curved passageway and the perforations in the tablet being of such dimensions as to permit the free passage of a ball, whereby a ball dropped into one end of the curved passage may go through said passage and onto the tablet and through a perforation therein or pass over the tablet and again enter the curved passageway, combined substantially as set forth.

4. A toy comprising, a tablet provided with a series of perforations through it, and a curved passageway disposed below and at each end of the tablet and provided with a side outlet, the curved passageway and the perforations in the tablet being of such dimensions as to permit the free passage of a ball, whereby a ball dropped into one end of the curved passage may go through said passage and onto the tablet and through a perforation therein or pass over the tablet and again enter the curved passageway, and whereby a ball lodging in the curved passageway may be withdrawn from the side thereof, combined substantially as set forth.

A toy comprising, a tablet provided with a series of perforations through it, a box disposed below the tablet and provided with a side outlet, and a curved passageway disposed below and at each end of the box and tablet, the curved passageway and the perforations in the tablet being of such dimensions as to permit the free passage of a ball, whereby a ball dropped'into one end of the curved passage may go through said passage and onto the tablet and through a perforation therein and into said box or pass over the tablet and again enter the curved passageway, and whereby a ball passing into the box through a perforation in the tablet may be removed from the side of the box, combined substantially as set forth.

6. A toy comprising, a tablet provided with a series of perforations through it, a curved passageway disposed below and at each end of the tablet, and a deflecting guide extending upward at one of the end walls Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the of the curved passageway, the curved passageway and the perforations in the tablet being of such dimensions as to permit the free passage of a ball, whereby a ball dropped into'one end of the curved passage may go through said passage and onto the tablet and through a perforation therein or pass over the tablet and again enter the curved passageway, combined substantially as set forth.

7. A toy comprising, a tablet provided with a series of perforations through it, a curved passageway disposed below and at each end of the tablet, and a lid hinged at one end wall of the curved passageway and adapted to serve as a cover over the curved passageway and the perforated tablet or to be turned upward to serve as a deflecting guide, the curved passageway and the perforations in the tablet being of such dimensions as to permit the free passage of a ball, whereby a ball dropped into one end of the curved passage may go through said passage and onto the tablet and through a perforation therein or pass over the tablet and again enter the curved passageway, combined substantially as set forth.

8. A toy comprising, a tablet provided with a series of perforations through it, a curved passageway disposed below and at each end of the tablet, and a ledge projecting upwardly at one end of the tablet, the curved passageway and the perforations in the tablet being of such dimensions as to permit the free passage of a ball, whereby a ball dropped into one end of the curved passage may go through said passage and onto the tablet and through a perforation therein or pass over the tablet and again enter the curved passageway, combined substantially as set forth.

9. A toy comprising, a declined tablet provided with a series-of perforations through it, a curved passageway disposed below and at each end of the tablet, and a ledge projecting upwardly at the lower end of the tablet, the curved passageway and the perforations in the tablet being of such dimensions as to permit the free passage of a ball, whereby a ball dropped into one end of the curved passage may go through said passage and onto the tablet and through a perforation therein or pass over the tablet and again enter the curved passageway, combined substantially as set forth.

EARL NORWVOOD CLARK.

Witnesses:

B. F. HARWITZ, FLORENCE V. ALEXANDER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

